Chilaquiles

5 from 1 vote

These budget-friendly bad boys are made with crispy, homemade tortilla chips soaked in a flavorful red enchilada sauce and served with loads of toppings.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Latin

Total Cost: ($6.39 recipe / $3.20 serving)

Servings: servings

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Monti Carlo

Equipment

Deep Stainless Steel Skillet

Ingredients

1/4 cup neutral flavored cooking oil $0.16
8 white or yellow corn tortillas (8-inch)* $0.53
1/4 tsp salt $0.02
1 10oz. can red enchilada sauce** $1.06
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco $0.57
1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese $0.80
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves $0.11
1/3 cup sliced green onions $0.35
1 avocado, diced $0.96
2 Tbsp Mexican crema $0.27

Instructions

Line a sheet pan or large plate with paper towels. Stack 8 corn tortillas and cut them into quarters.
In a large skillet set over medium heat, warm the cooking oil until shimmering***. Add two layers of tortilla quarters at a time and fry, turning as needed, until lightly browned and slightly crunchy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the tortilla quarters to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining tortilla quarters.
Warm the red enchilada sauce in a large saucepan.
Divide tortilla chips between two large plates. Divide the warm sauce equally, drizzling it over the tortilla chips on each plate.
Sprinkle each plate equally with the shredded Oaxaca cheese, crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro leaves, sliced green onions, diced avocado, and Mexican crema.**** Enjoy the ridiculously yummy contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures immediately!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*This recipe needs thick tortilla chips that can withstand getting soaked in a sauce without getting soggy. This usually means frying your own, which is super easy, budget-friendly, and what I do in this recipe. But if you can find really thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips, you can use those to speed up the preparation process.

**You can find this premade smoky red chile sauce in the Latin section of most grocery stores. Or, you can make our homemade enchilada sauce and call it a day!

***Make sure the oil you are frying the tortillas in is hot enough so they don't end up soggy. Add a small piece of tortilla to the hot oil. If you're at the right temperature, it will bubble and sizzle then turn golden in about 40 to 50 seconds.

****For this recipe, I topped my chilaquiles with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro leaves, diced avocado, shredded Oaxaca cheese, and crumbled queso fresco. If you can't source Oaxaca cheese, use a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend. I also use Mexican crema, which can be replaced with sour cream. I skipped the eggs in this recipe to keep it budget-friendly, but if you'd like to make it a heartier breakfast, top it with fried eggs.

Nutrition

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